


Sea Foam and Salt, Blood and Flesh

by Tell_me_about_it_shug



Series: And it's in the quality of the Gods [7]
Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore
Genre: Acephobia, Aromantic, Asexual Character, Asexual Relationship, Athena hates Zeus, Athena is ace/aro, Best Friends, Character Death, Everyone hates Zeus tbh, Friendship, Non-Graphic Violence, Other, Platonic Female/Female Relationships, Zeus Being an Asshole (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:47:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26040640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tell_me_about_it_shug/pseuds/Tell_me_about_it_shug
Summary: Zeus distracts her for a second. And a second is all it takes for Athenas spear to peirce her heart. Athena can taste the blood in her mouth and in her teeth.Or, the aftermath of Pallas' death.
Relationships: Athena/Pallas daughter of Triton (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore)
Series: And it's in the quality of the Gods [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1607104
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	Sea Foam and Salt, Blood and Flesh

"Oh, daughter. Mortals and nymphs come a dime a dozen." He says and she thinks he meant it to comfort her. It does not. Not when the blood is still thick on her hands, on her face and in her mouth. The salt of the sea mixes with the taste of blood and she struggles not to retch.

Athena has never felt loss like this. 

The day started off well; she woke to the smell of salt and sea and Pallas' weight in her arms. She dragged a hand through Pallas' hair. Pallas rolls in her arms and Athena has never felt romantic love for anyone, not even Pallas. But romantic love isn't everything. The girl in her arms has made her feel something unfathomable like she could eat the world raw and drink the molten core. 

Her father is still looking at her but she is looking at the blood on her hands. "I loved her." She says. Tears smear the blood on her face. Her father laughs but it is humorless. 

"You would have lost," Zeus says like that explains everything. 

Athena sobs, it shakes the whole of her body. "I loved her." 

And she did. Pallas was her most beloved friend. They were raised together, they fought together. Just that morning Pallas had braided her hair and in turn, Athena had kissed her forehead.

"You would shame me, daughter mine," He says, voice dark with warning. "Over a nymph you couldn't even bring yourself to fuck?"

The look on Pallas' face when the spear tore through her heart flashes in her mind. The tear wasn't clean and Pallas couldn't even form a scream. There was so much blood. Athena had knelt before her body, went to hold her, and watched as her body turned to water and slipped through her fingers.

"You don't need me to shame you father," The anger washes over her mourning quickly and she can feel her bones waking beneath her skin. "You do well enough on your own." She spits.

The sky blackens and the thunder is so loud the sand beneath her shakes. Her father's face is dark and he towers over her and she thinks its meant to scare her. His attempts at comfort are just as meaningless as his attempt at intimidation.

"They were games!" She screams. "You have killed an innocent over games!"

"Watch yourself, daughter," Zeus says. The sound of his voice sends lightning across the sky.

She laughs, it's coarse and mocking. "Why father? Will you have me struck down as well?"

"You are a goddess!" Zeus booms. He says it as though it's supposed to mean something. Like killing someone over a lost game was permitable. When you're the king everything is okay, she guesses.

"Then my Godhood is enough! I don't have to murder someone in a game to prove myself!" She slams her bloody spear into the ground and the momentum of it sends the ocean reeling back into itself and makes the ground convulse like a stuttering heartbeat.

Zeus looks at her carefully. 

Then he's nodding like he finally understands something. "You were born an adult but you are a child still," He says, voice placating. "You do not understand."

Athena rears back as though slapped. "I understand perfectly well-"

"I will not talk to you when you are in the throes of a tantrum." He says over her. 

His skin turns vapid and bright and then he is gone. Athena is left to cry in the ocean. She cries there for days, kneeling in the sand and knees bleeding. When she is done crying she is numb; when Pallas turned to sea foam she took parts of Athena with her. 

She is the winner of the games and to honor her Zeus welcomes her to Olympus, golden and bright and smiling as though he didn't murder the only person Athena loved. She grits her teeth and bares it. She introduces herself as Pallas Athena and ignores the poisonous look her father sends her. 

"Pallas?" He asks her, something dark hiding beneath his false curiosity. 

Athena smiles, all teeth, and waves a careless hand. "I beat her in the games," she says, like a liar. Like her father. "She was my friend. I wish to honor her. She did almost beat me." She looks Zeus in the eyes and if looks could kill she'd be nothing more than a pile of stardust and ichor.

The other gods are unaware of the tension, or pretend to be, and congratulate her and coo at her. "Brave and beautiful Pallas Athena." They say. The glory and praise mean nothing when she can still taste the salt and blood on her tongue and in her teeth.

Athena is the goddess of many things and wisdom is one of them; she comes to know that fighting Zeus is useless. He may seem clever to some but the only head he truly thinks with is his cock's. He is petty and does not like to be challenged.

He comes to her for aid with the giants, he laughs a little when he calls her Pallas. Athena is the goddess of wisdom among many other things and she knows a challenge when she sees one. He asks for her help and she gives it.

**Author's Note:**

> Tfw your dad has you accidentally kill your platonic life partner. This my first time writing an aro/ace character I hope I didn't fuck it up. I liked how this turned out. Writting Athena was so much fun. I feel like zeus is one of those people who think sex is the ultimate sign of love and is acephobic. I hope you all enjoyed!! Dont be shy, leave a comment.


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